Reporters on the Job

November 13, 2006

• Sticker Shock: How sensitive are an Iraqi journalist's "risk antennae" these days?

For today's story, staff writer Scott Peterson invited the head of an Iraqi press freedom watchdog group in Iraq, Ziad al-Ajili to be interviewed in the Monitor's Baghdad office. "This is a man who is routinely threatened, and sleeps with his assault rifle beside him," says Scott.

While he was sitting there, Mr. Ajili made special note of the box of tissues on a coffee table. Then he proceeded to peel the price tag off the box of tissues, and scolded Scott. "This is very dangerous," he told him.

Ajili explained that anyone sitting in the Monitor's office and seeing that price tag – which has the logo of one of the few remaining high-end supermarkets in Baghdad – would know that at some point, Monitor staff (foreigners and/or Iraqis), would be making regular trips to the shop and could be targeted.